Cassidy residents clean up other’s off-road junk

A posse of five women got together in Cassidy Saturday (Feb. 27) to clean up the mess left in their ‘back yard’ by someone who dumped a huge pile of garbage beside the trails just off Timberlands Road.

Lisa Collinge, Rachael Clarke, Jill Webb, Amanda Hensey and Vonda Croissant met in the parking lot of the Timberlands Pub and formed a convoy that headed into to bush to clean up the mess – Webb later thanked the bartender at Timberlands Pub for contributing her tip money to help pay disposal fees.

Armed with rubber gloves, garbage bags, and good spirits, they set about sorting through drywall scraps, old television sets, broken lamps and window frames strewn off the side of an off road trail, where community members often walk their dogs, and get outdoors for fun and recreation.

Collinge, who often takes her dashound Kesler for walks in the area, was the first to discover the debris.

“I happened to be walking down the road, and saw this up here, so I came and had a look, and took some pictures, which I posted on Facebook because I thought it was absolutely disgusting,” she said.

Along with the photos she posted a call to action for people to come out and help with a cleanup.

“I was absolutely appalled,” Collinge said of the thoughtlessness and carelessness of whoever left their garbage behind for others to deal with. “For people to do this, I have no words, I don’t understand why.”

She said there are plenty of inexpensive options for people to dispose of garbage and scraps from home renovation projects, which she suspected this most recent dumping consisted of.

Her suggestion: “Keep those wheels rolling, right into the recycling depot. Don’t litter in our back yards. This is our environment, our kids need to grow up in this.”

Noting that the junk contained nails, glass and other potentially materials hazardous to pets and people, she said, “Don’t do it. Recycle. Please, please, please recycle.”

Another clean up is planned for Saturday, March 19, with volunteers being asked to meet at the Timerlands Pub at 10 a.m. (bring gloves and boots).

See a video associated with this story at the Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle Facebook page.